Goa

The year 2016 was eventful, to say the least when it comes to the water scenario in the country. The year saw severe droughts affecting 33 crore people across 10 states. The states of Assam and Bihar experienced severe flooding, the Ganga clean-up plan has so far been a failure and the lakes an...

Government starts river transport project with eight waterways
Shipping ministry identifies 37 inland waterways, that include rivers in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Assam and West Bengal, for the development and transport of cargo and passengers. The work on eight of these waterways ha...

When it comes to managing huge piles of waste, Indian metros have a monumental task in hand. As per 2011 figures, Delhi is the biggest waste generator with 6800 tonnes of waste being produced daily. Lessons from other countries show that these mountains of waste will only grow bigger as India g...

The small town of Navalgund of Dharwad district in Karnataka with a population of 25,000 has been the epicenter of farmers’ protest demanding water from the west-flowing river, Mahadayi. On July 30, 2016, the state of Karnataka woke up to the shocking news of police brutality on farmers, including...

NGT orders CWRA to meet every month for identification of wetlands
In a landmark judgment, the National Green Tribunal has ordered the Central Wetlands Regulatory Authority (CWRA) to conduct a meeting with states and union territories every month for identification and notification of wetlands...

The road to hell, they say, is paved with good intentions. A visit to almost any village or small town in India today will serve to confirm that statement. In an undoubtedly laudable attempt to keep the village clean, gram panchayats tend to dump waste in a convenient patch of land on the outskirts....

The Mandovi river is picture perfect. She is the wide, placid river fringed by the coconut palms and dotted by the boats that we think of when we think of Goa. For the Goans, the Mandovi is a lifeline as she provides drinking water and fish. She also waters the rice crop that they live on and serves...

It was a sultry Sunday afternoon in Goa, the time traditionally reserved for heavy lunches followed by long siestas but the small crowd gathered at Arjuntree One in Margao defied the stereotype. They had come from all over the city to learn about an activity close to their hearts--growing ...

Centre to allow diversion of a whooping 20 sq.km. forest area for Andhra's new capitalThe Centre plans to give a green signal to the diverting of 19,256 hectares of reserve forest area in Krishna and Guntur districts for Andhra's new capital, Amaravati. Touted as a “blue and green, environmen...

Social Impact Assessment alone not enough for Yettinahole, say activistsThe Karnataka Government has decided to conduct a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) study for the Yettinahole project through the Revenue Department. However, activists have also been demanding an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA...

Petition filed against green nod granted to Dibang hydel projectA petition has been filed in the National Green Tribunal against the environmental clearance granted to the 2880 MW Dibang hydro project in Arunachal Pradesh. Per the petition, the project would cause irreversible environmental damage&n...

Goa rivers water unfit for human consumption: GSPCB
In a recent study by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), the rivers in the state are polluted to such an extent that their waters are unfit for human consumption. Presence of faecal coliform bacteria, nearly 1,300 to 7,900 colonies per ...

Rajya Sabha passes the Mining Bill
The Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) (Amendment) Bill (MMDR), 2015 has been passed in the Rajya Sabha on the strength of 117 votes. The MMDR has gained a lot of criticsm, the major one being that the Bill gives overarching power to the Centre rath...

Goa relieved, as tribunal restrains work on Maharashtra's Virdi dam
Favouring Goa, the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal has ordered the Maharashtra Government not to go ahead with the construction of the Virdi dam. The Government has assured the tribunal that it will abide by the latter's directi...

As the race to bridge the gap between limited water availability and increasing demand for water narrows in India, rain water harvesting has been increasingly recommended in urban areas to harness the available water, rather than relying on expensive and unsustainable means of procuring water. &nbsp...

ICIMOD wins accolade for its flood warning system
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has won UNFCCC's 2014 Lighthouse Activity Award for its work on community-based flood early warning system in the eastern Brahmaputra river basin in India. The project i...

Cyclone Nilofar makes its way towards Gujarat
Nilofar, a severe cyclonic storm, is anticipated to hit Gujarat near Naliya in Kutch district, on the morning of October 31. The cyclonic storm is prevailing over the west central Arabian sea and is expected to hit land at a maximum speed of 125 km...

Government identifies 11 states along Ganga for sewer link
To ensure that the Ganga is revived ithin three years, the Centre has taken three major decisions. The Ministries of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and Environment & Forests will work closely. The Environ...

Centre allocates 50% MGNREGA funds to sanitation and green cover
The blueprint of team Modi's rural employment guarantee scheme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), has given top priority to sanitation projects and increasing green cover. The plan has proposed...

Dip in enrollment of female students due to poor sanitation in schoolsAccording to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, nearly 20% of Indian schools are devoid of toilet facilities for girls. Moreover, out of the schools that have toilets installed in their premises, only 92.64% are functiona...

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The documentary, Birdman of Chorao tells the story of Uday Mandrekar’s selfless efforts in protecting the mangroves in Chorao.

Uday Mandrekar (40) is a popular boatman on the Chorao island of Goa. He is known for his formidable knowledge on birds in the area so much so that he is often referred to as the bird man of Chorao. He is a private boatman and a tourist guide who can take you deep into the mangroves and waterways of the island.

Chorao island is just five km away from the capital city of Panaji. Along the Mandovi river, it is one of the largest islands in Goa. The island has a unique ecosystem. It has one of the best mangrove forests and houses most of the mangrove species found in Goa.

There is a need for better regulation and monitoring to bring toxin-free food to the Indian market.

“The recent scare due to the detection of formalin-laced fish across Goa, Kerala, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya points to a link between water quality and food safety. Fish traders find it cost-effective to use formalin, a carcinogen, instead of ice to prevent the decomposition of fish during transportation to distant markets.

SuSanA (Sustainable Sanitation Alliance) is an informal network of people and organisations who share a common vision on sustainable sanitation and who want to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG6.

A new project tries to save the ecologically diverse Chorao island by including the inhabitants of the island in conservation efforts.

Located just 5 km away from the capital city of Panaji, Chorao island, along the Mandovi river, is one of the largest islands in Goa. The island has a unique ecosystem that is different from the other sanctuaries in the state. The Chorao island in Mandovi is one of the best mangrove forests and houses most of the mangrove species found in Goa.

Hello, I am looking for CPCB guidelines for acceptable water quality from an STP for usage in: irrigation, disposal into a storm water drain, and drinking. I could not find on their website. Can anyone help?

Increase in human activities in the Western Ghats is threatening the biodiversity. A video tells us why investing in nature is the need of the hour.

The Western Ghats is one of the eight hotspots of biological diversity in the world and is spread across six states—Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The forests in the Western Ghats are the water towers of peninsular India. As many as 58 major rivers originate here, including the sacred Godavari, the Cauvery and the Krishna.